US Marines: Modern Day Knights

November 14, 2016

In case you were wondering why the banks and schools were closed on Friday, it was in honor Veteran’s Day. I’m sorry to have to mention that, but many Americans simply were not aware of the fact. FOX News honored Veteran’s, but I didn’t see any mention of this important day when I surfed CNN, ABC, NBC, and CBS. To be fair, they may have made a brief mention of Veterans at some point that day, but they certainly didn’t take the time to honor them the way FOX did.

I guess it’s just not fashionable in our current toxic, politically correct atmosphere to appreciate the sacrifices of our Veterans and their families. Obama has done much to damage our military, both with his disrespectful words and by keeping his campaign promise to cut our military in half. I am hopeful that President-Elect Trump will use his bully pulpit to help set a new tone of respect and appreciation for both our active duty military personnel, and the Veterans of the various branches.

Normally I would write an article honoring all our armed forces for Veteran’s Day: Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Marines. But I decided that I would change that tradition and write about what makes each of the services special every Veteran’s Day for five years, starting today.

It wasn’t hard to decide which to start with. I served in the Marine Corps from 1966 to 1969, during the Vietnam era. I am still a Marine today. (More on that later.) But there were two other factors that influenced my decision. Thursday was also the 241st birthday of the United States Marine Corps. And most of the writing was already done. There are hundreds of great quotes from all sources honoring the Marine Corps. Much of this piece will be made up of those quotes.

There is a lot of inter-service rivalry, but all the armed services respect and appreciate each other. Much of the rivalry takes the form of jokes, usually at the expense of the Marines, which imply that Marines are “as dumb as a bag of rocks.” For instance, General Jerry Boykin, US Army (Ret.) has a bottomless supply of Army-Marine jones, with which he likes to torment me. Every time we speak at the same event he takes the opportunity to use one of them. I have to suffer in silence because he outranks me. (He was a 3-Star General; I was a Lance Corporal. Although, come to think of it, an argument could be made that an enlisted Marine is a better warrior than and Army General or a Navy Admiral…)

An example of the type of jokes we Marines have to endure is when Armed Forces radio comes on the air in the morning. “For all you airmen, it’s 0800 hours. For you seamen, it’s 8 bells. For you Army ground-pounders it’s 8:00 in the morning. And for you Marines, the big hand is on the 12, and the little hand is on the 8.”

But as I said, that’s all a cover for the respect the services have for each other – and especially for the Marines! Here are a few quotes from officers of all the other DoD services, as well as from presidents of the United States and the heads of state of other nations – and even from our enemies.

"I have just returned from visiting the Marines at the front, and there is not a finer fighting organization in the world!"General of the Armies Douglas MacArthur; Korea, 21 September 1950

“Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem.” President Ronald Reagan

“There are only two kinds of people that understand Marines: Marines and the enemy. Everyone else has a second-hand opinion.” Gen. William Thornson, U.S. Army

"Panic sweeps my men when they are facing the American Marines!"Captured North Korean Major

“A Marine should be sworn to the patient endurance of hardships, like the ancient knights; and it is not the least of these necessary hardships to have to serve with sailors.” British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery

“Marines I see as two breeds, Rottweilers or Dobermans, because Marines come in two varieties, big and mean, or skinny and mean. They're aggressive on the attack and tenacious on defense. They've got really short hair and they always go for the throat.” Rear Adm. "Jay" R. Stark, USN; 10 November 1995

“The safest place in Korea was right behind a platoon of Marines. Lord, how those guys could fight!”Major Gen. Frank E. Lowe, US Army; Korea, 26 January 1952

"There has been one persistent theme through all Axis propaganda. This theme has been that Americans are admittedly rich, that Americans have considerable industrial power – but that Americans are soft and decadent, that they cannot and will not unite and work and fight...Let them tell that to the Marines!"President Franklin D. Roosevelt

"The British were chickens, but these new men, these American Marines, they fight like animals. They're not even human."Taliban Commander after losing to the Marines

“By their victory, the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions and other units of the Fifth Amphibious Corps have made an accounting to their country which only history will be able to value fully. Among the Americans who served on Iwo Island, uncommon valor was a common virtue.”Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, U.S. Navy

“I am convinced that there is no smarter, handier, or more adaptable body of troops in the world than the US Marines.” Prime Minister of Britain, Sir Winston Churchill

The Marine Corps has just been called by the New York Times, 'The elite of this country.' I think it is the elite of the world. Admiral William Halsey, U.S. Navy

“The deadliest weapon in the world is a Marine and his rifle. “Gen. John "Black Jack" Pershing, U.S. Army, Commander of American Forces in WWII

“I'm a conservative because I believe in peace - real peace, not just peace of mind. I'm a conservative because we understand that real peace comes from the Marine Corps, not the Peace Corps.”Col. Allen West, US Army (Ret.)

"Lying offshore, ready to act, the presence of ships and Marines sometimes means much more than just having air power or ship's fire, when it comes to deterring a crisis.General Colin Powell, US Army (Ret.); former US Secretary of State

"There is no military body in our country of higher efficiency than the Marine Corps.
They take great pride in their profession. They never let things slack a bit."Rear Admiral C.M. Wilslow, U.S. Navy

“My only answer as to why the Marines get the toughest jobs is because the average Leatherneck is a much better fighter. He has far more guts, courage, and better officers… These boys out here have a pride in the Marine Corps and will fight to the end no matter what the cost.”Lt. Richard C. Kennard, US Marine Corps

"They're on our right, they're on our left, they're in front of us, they're behind us;
they can't get away from us this time." "We're surrounded. That simplifies our problem of getting to these people and killing them." Chesty Puller, USMC, Chosin Reservoir, Korean War

"It's a funny thing, but, as years go by, I think you appreciate more and more what a great thing it was to be a United States Marine...I am a U.S. Marine and I'll be one till I die."Ted Williams, Baseball Hall of Famer

The idea of “Once a Marine, Always a Marine” is foreign to the other services. I’ve talked to many former Army, Navy and Air Force people, both retired and guys who served their hitch. If they talk about their service, it’s always, “I used to be in the ______.” Although they are usually proud of their military branch, I’ve never heard one of them say, “I’m an airman,” or “I’m a sailor” once his service had ended.

So why do Marines almost universally refer to themselves as Marines – even when they retired or left active duty twenty or fifty years ago?

Part of it may be this pronouncement from a former Commandant of the Marine Corps:
“A Marine is a Marine. You're a Marine, just in a different uniform and you're in a different phase of your life. But you'll always be a Marine because you went to Parris Island, San Diego or the hills of Quantico. There's no such thing as a former Marine.”General James F. Amos, 35th Commandant of the Marine Corps

But I think it goes much deeper than that. The Marine Corps is known as the U.S. rapid-reaction force. They are trained to fight by air, sea and land, and usually are the first “boots on the ground.” Marines are known as the world's fiercest warriors. Marines are also entrusted with one of the most important responsibilities of our nation – guarding our embassies and diplomats worldwide.

Due to its mission and responsibilities, there is a unique pride and esprit de corps among Marines that is not found in the other branches of the US armed services. Sometimes it can be found in elite branches of those services, such as the Army’s Delta Force or the Navy SEALS. But the entire Marine Corps has this spirit. I believe that is because the entire Corps is an elite unit.

There are several definitions of esprit de corps: *A sense of unity and of common interests and responsibilities, as developed among a group of persons closely associated in a task, cause, enterprise
*The common spirit existing in the members of a group and inspiring enthusiasm, devotion, and strong regard for the honor of the group

My favorite: *A feeling of pride, fellowship, and loyalty shared by the members of a particular group.

Let me share a personal story about Marine loyalty. I had enlisted in the Marine Corps right out of high school. Because there was a drill scheduled at the reserve center prior to my departure for Parris Island I was required to attend it. Naturally, I stood out because I was the only one there in civilian clothes.

The night before I was to leave for boot camp, my girlfriend Rosalynn and I went to the best pizza joint in town for takeout. Unfortunately it was also a bar. Three drunk guys overheard my girlfriend say, “I’ll write to you every day while you’re at Parris Island.” Well, it turned out they were sailors, and that set them off. “Oh, you’re a Marine, are you? Think you’re tough, do you?” I told Rosalynn to wait in the car, and hoped the pizza would come out quickly. After a few minutes the drunk sailors disappeared.

I didn’t think any more about it until I went outside. There I found the sailors in the bushes, and two Marines from my new unit standing over them. They didn’t know me – I wasn’t even a real Marine yet. But they considered me their brother, and they decided to teach the “swabbies” some manners. I thanked them and left to enjoy the pizza with my girlfriend and her parents.

Another bond is the shared mission. I’ll let an Army Colonel explain it:
“In the Marines, everyone – sergeant, mechanic, cannoneer, supply man, clerk, aviator, or cook – is a rifleman first. The entire Corps, all 170,000 or so, are all infantry. All speak the language of the rifle and bayonet, of muddy boots and long, hot marches. It’s never us and them, only us. That is the secret of the Corps.”Col. Daniel F. Bolger, US Army

When I preach on evangelism, I often use the example of the Marine rifleman. Just as every Marine’s primary job in infantryman, in the church every believer’s first job is evangelism. Whatever your other ministry is, your first job is to win souls. When I use the example of the Marine Corps, people get it, because everyone understands that a Marine is first and foremost a warrior.

Another reason for the Marine Corps Spirit is the title itself – and the way it is earned. Tom Bartlett from Leatherneck Magazine explains:
“You earned the title ‘Marine’ upon graduation from recruit training. It wasn't willed to you; it isn't a gift. It is not a government subsidy. Few can claim the title; no one may take it away. It is yours forever.”

Finally, I think one of the prime reasons – if not the prime reason – for the espirit de corps of the Marine Corps is our training. This is from a Marine’s mom…

“When my son left home he had no motivation. He was lazy, slobby, he had no pride, and no sense of self-worth. This is the boy who got off the bus March 18th at Parris Island. The man that I met on Thursday for parents’ day is AWESOME. There is no way I can describe to you all the differences. He looks different, he walks different, he talks different, and he has such a sense of bearing and pride that all I could do was look at him in awe. Oh yes, the training is hard, what he went through is unimaginable to anyone that has not been there. They are definitely taught to be Warriors. Let me tell you the surprise of what else they are taught. My Marine son has better values, better morals, and better manners than anyone I know. It is so much more than "Yes, sir " and "Yes , ma’am. He cares about how he looks, he cares about what he does, and it’s not a boastful, bad-ass thing. He is a true gentleman. I saw patience and a calmness in him that I have never seen before. I could never express my gratitude enough to the Marine Corps for what they have given my son.”

From the shores of Tripoli fighting and defeating the Muslims to the Pacific Islands during World War II, to the Chosin Reservoir in Korea to Hue City in Vietnam to Beirut, Lebanon and Fallujah, Iraq, Marines continue to acquit themselves honorably on the field of battle. It has been so since the Marines were founded in 1775.

Marines are today’s knights. “In Medieval times Knights had to be loyal subjects first, competent warriors second and chivalrous third, adhering to a strict code of conduct that governed their lives. Training to become a knight was arduous and tested the limits of a man’s strength and endurance”. What part of that description does not apply to a US Marine?

Happy Birthday, Marines. God bless the Marine Corps, and God Bless the United States of America.

Tom Barrett is the Founder and Publisher of www.ConservativeTruth.org. He has written thousands of articles that have been republished in national newspapers and on hundreds of websites, and is a frequent guest on radio and television shows. His unique viewpoint on social, moral and political issues from a Biblical worldview have resulted in invitations to speak at churches, conferences, Money Shows, colleges, and on TV (including the 700 Club). Tom is also an expert speaker and writer on the subject of Biblical Finance, & is the Founder www.ChristianFinancialConcepts.com.